


With a Bottle of Shiraz

by Bat_and_Breakfast



Category: Holby City
Genre: Crack, F/F, Playing games on the ward, Pure Crack, References to Clue | Cluedo, board games!, what else
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-13
Updated: 2020-04-13
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:08:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,507
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23632117
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bat_and_Breakfast/pseuds/Bat_and_Breakfast
Summary: A round of Cluedo during a calm moment on Keller ward might go wrong. Or not. That's to be seen.
Relationships: Serena Campbell/Bernie Wolfe
Comments: 25
Kudos: 52





	With a Bottle of Shiraz

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sevtacular](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sevtacular/gifts).



> Sev. It's all your fault. Have a present. ;)
> 
> Ok, so... this is crack. It comes from [a collection of one shots](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23593627/chapters/56611942) Sev recently posted and " Bernie Wolfe. With a sword. In a dress uniform." made me comment that it sounded like a game of Clue(do). So Sev wanted a fic with "Serena Campbell. In the Peace Garden. With a bottle of Shiraz." and here we are...

“Serena Campbell! In the Peace Garden!! With a bottle of Shiraz!!!” Triumph colours the voice of Bernie Wolfe, while she smashes down the former enveloped cards on the table. A curious silence falls onto the break room, with everyone assembled round the table staring at her in wide eyed wonder. Although “wonder” might be slightly wrong. After scrutinising her silent colleagues for another second, Bernie thinks it’s discomfort and… worry. Which is a curious reaction to her finally solving their custom made game of Cluedo. And why are they staring at her, but not really _at_ her?

Oh. Ohhh…

She slowly turns around, only to have her suspicions confirmed: The lead consultant of AAU and deputy CEO of her place of work is standing right behind her, arms crossed, lips pressed together and one eyebrow raised in a perfect disapproving arc.

“Serena.” Bernie manages to keep her voice almost completely even.

“Ms. Wolfe. Would you mind telling me why exactly you were yelling my name almost across the ward?”

Bernie can’t help herself, feels the heat rising up in her face and hates that she blushes so easily, even after all the years of being submitted to rough jokes and lewd stories while on tour. She grapples for words, looks at the woman she likes more than she cares to admit. They are friends, right? Although right now it seems like their friendship might become a bit strained.

The sound of chairs and shuffling feet brings Bernie back to the room. Apparently her colleagues have decided to make their hasty exits. “Leave no man behind” doesn’t seem to be applied to the NHS as much as it is to the army.

Serena steps into the room, and Dom uses the chance to step around her and even closes the door behind him, at least with an apologizing look at Bernie. So this is how things work around here, she thinks with a huff.

“Cat got your tongue, Ms. Wolfe?” The other woman takes a step towards the table, obviously interested in the customized game pieces scattered around.

“Um…” is all Bernie manages to say for now, warily watching Serena take the card with a crude drawing of a bald male doctor, wearing scrubs and holding a pair of defibrillators in his hands.

“If he holds them like that, he will only electrocute himself. And he reminds me of Edward. Too bad. Whoever did this drawing hopefully has a better grip on the equipment they have to work with.” Serena places the card back on the table. Takes another step round the table and another card, this one showing a stick-like looking male figure in a suit with a distinctive similarity to the hospital's CEO.

“Hmm,” Serena remarks almost to herself, although Bernie is very sure she hasn’t suddenly forgotten about her presence in the room. “I wonder if Henrik would find this to his liking?”

Bernie can feel sweat pooling at her nape. Wonders what kind of repercussions the NHS holds for people drawing cartoons of their colleagues. And for people using them as game cards in a murder detective board game. Watches Serena slowly make her way round the table, touching cards and board pieces, taking note of the customized changes to the rooms on the board.

“I’m proud you managed to include AAU and the ER, but I can’t help but notice that you forgot about Keller ward? Which tells me something about the origin of this game, don’t you think…” 

Having made her way round the table, Serena is now standing next to Bernie again. Who starts to feel a bit curious, with the other woman hovering at her side. Has to suppress a hitch in her breath when she feels her leaning over her shoulder, a hand reaching out for the three cards lying in front of Bernie, lining the first one up to have a better look at it.

It shows a generously figured female cartoon character with brunette hair and a rather garish coloured blouse. The resemblance is unmistakable.

“I certainly don’t own a blouse of that colour. It’s hideous - looks like snot.” she huffs. The next one unmistakingly shows a quick rendering of the hospital’s peace garden. Serena gives a small hum and Bernie feels a shiver run along her spine.

“Well, that’s quite good. Not that the real thing has much to offer. At least not as long as one doesn’t know what to look for. It has its hidden depths, though.” A small chuckle follows that sentence and Bernie can’t help wondering what Serena might mean by this.

The third card is righted by two fingers and by now Bernie is almost wiggling in her seat, more than aware of Serena’s body next to hers. Wonders if this is her way of torturing Bernie. Worries that she’s so transparent in her feelings that Serena has been able to pick up on them.

“Shiraz, of course.” A single finger taps on the picture of a bottle of red.

“How inappropriate, Ms. Wolfe.”

Bernie realises that Serena has straightened herself beside her and finally turns around to face her fate. Her eyes meet Serena’s, who looks inscrutable, her face carefully blank.

Bernie sighs and offers her a rueful smile.

“We meant no harm. Someone drew this and sometimes we just sit around, waiting for the next patient to come through or for our shifts to begin or…”

“There’s really no way to apologize, Ms. Wolfe.”

“Serena, I mean, Ms. Campbell - wait, why are we even using our last names again?” Bernie feels like the situation is clearly slipping away from her.

“Well, Ms. Wolfe,” and with this Serena Campbell seems to get ready to give Bernie a good talking to, “such disrespect from someone I thought should know me a bit by now. Who might be considered a friend? But I was clearly mistaken, you seem to not know me at all, so last names might be more appropriate, don’t you think?”

“I certainly don’t think so,” Bernie huffs. “It’s just a game and if you want to, we will get rid of it, but I don’t think it’s a sign of disrespect. I mean it’s a world famous board game, beloved by many. The drawings aren’t that bad.” Her eyes fall towards the card with Serena’s cartoonish alter ego. She tries very hard not to mentally compare the drawn hips and breasts with the real ones next to her.

“Oh, I don’t mind the drawing.” Serena takes a step towards the table again, taps her card with a single finger.

“But Bernie… I mean, Ms. Wolfe,” and suddenly Bernie can hear a bit of carefully hidden humour in Serena’s voice. She releases a breath she didn’t know she was holding and turns towards Serena again. Sees a smile tugging at her friend’s lips and can’t help smiling back.

“Yes, Ms. Campbell?” She lowers her voice a bit, notices a minuscule twitch to Serena’s eyebrow in reaction.

“You should of course know that I would never murder someone with a bottle of Shiraz? Knowing that I’m not inclined to waste a good bottle of wine is nigh on essential. I’d never. Even in a moment of criminal insanity.”

Bernie nods solemnly, trying her best to keep a straight face, but has to bite her bottom lip a bit to do so.

“I’ll keep that in mind, Ms. Campbell. If you’re ever accused again for such vile behaviour, I’ll speak up on your behalf immediately.”

“Good to hear, Ms. Wolfe, good to hear. I’m glad to know that someone might have my back when things get rough.” 

For a moment it seems to Bernie like Serena almost reaches out to ruffle her hair, but then she just raises her hand towards the pendant she’s wearing. Bernie can’t help herself, but wonders what it would feel like to have Serena’s hands slide through her hair and decides to take a chance.

“How about I make it up to you and buy us a guaranteed murder free bottle of Shiraz later on? There’s this place I’ve wanted to go to for a while.” Suddenly she feels insecure again, wonders how she thought that asking Serena out for a date might be a good idea.

“That, Ms. Wolfe, sounds like an excellent date.” Serena smiles and Bernie's heart takes a few double beats.

“I’m looking forward to seeing you later on.” Serena takes a step around Bernie, squeezes her shoulder, picks up the card depicting Hanssen and puts it in her trouser pocket.

“I’ll return this to you after making a copy of it.” and with a nod and a smile she vanishes from the room, leaving an equally excited and nervous Bernie behind.

A date. Serena has said “a date”. Bernie leans back into her chair with a smile and looks around the table. She was going to find out whoever drew those pictures and changed the game and send them flowers. This was clearly the best round of Cluedo she ever played.


End file.
